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Finally, Dufresne at rest

By Katina Caraganis, kcaraganis@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
09/29/2014 04:42:51 PM EDT

LEOMINSTER -- Saturday's funeral services for a gone but not forgotten hero was a true testament to the type of community Leominster is, according to those people who flooded the pews of St. Cecilia's Church in Leominster.

It may have taken 63 years, but the family of Army Pfc. Norman Dufresne finally were able to bury their loved one with the rest of his family.

Dufresne was stationed in Korea and positioned along the Chinju-Hadon roadway west of the Nam River when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel June 25, 1950.

He was declared missing July 30, 1950, and officially declared deceased on New Year's Eve of that year.

Claire Weber of Lake Zurich, Ill., is given the folded flag during the funeral of her brother, Korean War veteran Pfc. Norman Dufresne, at St. Cecilia's Cemetery in Leominster, Saturday.
SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / BRETT CRAWFORD

The Army's Graves Registration Service returned to the battlefield the following summer to collect bodies but Dufresne's remains could not be identified. He was buried in an unnamed grave in Hawaii.

He returned home Wednesday with a military and police escort.

Father Robert E. Gariepy, who officiated much of the service, said he knew Dufresne well as child. Born a mere two months apart, they went to school and church together.

"The best things in life are free, and Norman exemplified those by giving the ultimate sacrifice," he said. "Death is as mysterious as life itself. Sixty three years are an eternity for families of war. This identification, and others, brings closure to them. Families never forget their loved ones.

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Dufresne's nephew Raymond Guilmette gave the eulogy during the funeral service and said not a day goes by that he doesn't think about his uncle.

"I miss him every day. There are so many stories I could tell you about him, but many of you, his nieces and nephews, are too young to remember them."

Dufresne's last remaining sibling, of 11, Claire Weber, who lives in Lake Zurich, Ill., was on hand for the service and received the American flag draped over her brother's coffin.

Claire Weber of Lake Zurich, Ill., gives her final farewell during the funeral of her brother, Korean War veteran Pfc. Norman Dufresne, at St. Cecilia's Cemetery in Leominster, Saturday.
SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / BRETT CRAWFORD

After the ceremony and burial at St. Cecilia's cemetery, a reception was held at the Leominster Veterans Center.

City Councilor Rich Marchand, who photographed much of the funeral services, said a range of emotions ran through his head when he first heard the news.

"It was just incredible. It's been such a long week for us here and this is such a nice tribute," he said after the services. However, he said, there was some sadness because Dufresne's best friend from Leominster just passed away a couple of months ago without knowing the remains would be found.

"My first thought was sadness because he wouldn't be here to hear the news," he said. "But this is such an honor for us to be able to celebrate not only a local Leominster veteran but a veteran in general who paid the ultimate sacrifice."

There was never a thought that the city would not be involved in welcoming Dufresne home, Marchand said.

"There was no question about it. It was just a matter of people stepping in to do what they could to help. It's just an awesome feeling knowing that we were all able to step on and help the family find some sort of closure."

The community support, he said, from the Police and Fire departments, Highway Department, veterans, and the community at large was incredible, he said.

"I'm just happy we could provide his long overdue military honors," he said. "I think the community came out in full force for this. We couldn't have done it without the community support."

Councilor Claire Freda, whose husband died from injuries sustained while fighting overseas, said this particular situation hit home for her.

"The biggest thing for me was there was a dedicated group of people out there who were willing to not give up. Their work helped identify him. It just shows we can never give up on our MIAs or POWs," she said. "This is like a family here. You can't just give up on that. This is the perfect example of community support. It's someone's father or son and they deserve to know what happened to their loved one."

Freda, who is running for re-election this year, said she couldn't be prouder of how the community supported the weeklong festivities to honor Dufresne.

"I'm so proud to be an elected official in a place like this where the residents step up to the plate without being asked and support one of their own," she said.

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